1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vehicle differentials and, in particular, to the location and support of pinion bearings within a differential.
2. Disclosure of Related Art
Differentials are used in vehicles to allow wheels mounted on either side of a vehicle axle to rotate at different speeds. A conventional differential includes a series of gears disposed within a differential housing that transmit torque from a power input shaft to axle half shafts supporting the wheels. One of these gears is a pinion gear. The differential housing defines an opening through which a pinion shaft extends to support the pinion gear. Bearings are disposed within the opening to allow the pinion shaft to rotate relative to the housing. An input yoke is coupled to the pinion shaft and to the power input shaft to transmit torque from the power input shaft to the pinion shaft.
Conventional differentials have several problems. First, the pinion shaft and input yoke extend outwardly from the differential housing for a relatively large distance (xe2x80x9cpinion standoutxe2x80x9d). As a result, the differential requires additional space and the mounting of vehicle suspension components and other vehicle components is made for difficult. Second, installation and proper placement of the pinion bearings often require the use of spacers or shims during assembly thereby increasing assembly time.
There is thus a need for a differential for a vehicle that will minimize or eliminate one or more of the above-mentioned deficiencies.
The present invention provides a differential for a vehicle.
A differential in accordance with the present invention includes a differential housing that defines a first opening. The differential also includes a pinion shaft disposed within the first opening and configured for rotation about an axis extending through the first opening. The differential further includes an input yoke disposed about a least a portion of the pinion shaft. Finally, the differential includes a first bearing set disposed about the input yoke. The differential may also include a second bearing set axially spaced from the first bearing set and also disposed about the input yoke.
A differential in accordance with the present invention has several advantages as compared to conventional vehicle differentials. The location of the bearing set(s) on the input yoke shortens the overall length of the pinion shaft while still allowing sufficient engagement between the pinion shaft and input yoke. As a result, pinion standout is reduced. The location of the bearing sets further allows the use of a preassembled bearing pack comprised of the bearing sets and a carrier for the bearing sets for proper positioning of the bearing sets within the differential housing opening. As a result, spacers and/or shims are not required and differential assembly time may be significantly reduced.
These and other features and objects of this invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings illustrating features of this invention by way of example.